The Julius Abure-led Labour Party has dismissed the existence of a Board of Trustees in the party.
The party’s position followed an earlier claim by its BoT chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor that he had taken over the party after the expiration of Aburi’s tenure.
Abure was on Wednesday re-elected in a controversial National Convention of the party in Anambra state.
Some key stakeholders in the party, including its presidential candidate in the last election, LP caucus in the House of Representatives, amongst others did not take part in the convention over unsettled matter with the party’s National Chairman.
On Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it did not recognize the congress because the umpire did not monitor it as required by the law. LP has dismissed the suggestion, stating that it’s within its power to organsie the congress.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, described Ejiofor as an impostor who is not known to the party.
He said Ejiofor no longer hold a significant position in the party having resigned 20 years ago, and has stopped attending the party’s meeting for years.
According to the statement Ejiofor “is not even known in his ward and has not paid a single dime as membership dues which qualifies him as a member. It is surprising that after he was ‘visited’ by some leaders of NLC, he suddenly woke up from his slumber.”
“The point here is that the Labour Party is not aware of the existence of any Board of Trustees. Recall that NLC has continued to propose for the reconstitution of the BoT as well as the convocation of the national convention.
“Over 90 per cent of persons being suggested to form membership of the proposed BoT have since left the party to join other political parties, some even contested various political positions on the platform of other political parties while some others featured prominently in the presidential campaigns of the other political parties even when Labour Party equally featured a candidate in the 2023 general election.
“This is what desperation in the ranks of the NLC can cause. Why not let the man enjoy his retirement? Why drag him into your mess? Let Ejiofor show evidence of one meeting he convened in the last one decade of his so-called BoT.
“Enough of all these political muscles flexing, Julius Abure has just been elected by the convention for the first time as the national chairman of the Labour Party. We urge our detractors to please sheathe the sword and join us to salvage the nation.”
The magazine reports that some leaders of the party, including its Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has dumped Abure and are now searching for his replacement.
